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Fiesta Week – Grilled Fiesta Tequila Chicken

July 22, 2011 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 4 Comments

Need some healthy grilled chicken to go along with all this fiesta food!

Check out one of our absolute favorite ways to spice up the grill.

dinner Fiesta Week Grilled Fiesta Tequila Chicken

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 whole chicken, cut up
1/2 cup of good tequila, love me some tequila
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 limes, juiced
2 oranges, juiced
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 jalapenos, diced
4 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 T cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t paprika
S&P
Cayenne Pepper to taste (Optional)
WHAT TO DO:
Grab your chicken, rinse and pat it dry.  Toss the cleaned chicken into a large plastic ziploc bag.
Grab a big bowl and pour the tequila, olive oil, juices, jalapeno, cilantro, spices and S&P.  Mix well.
Pour your marinade over the chicken in the bag.  I also throw my squeezed limes, oranges and lemons, in with the chicken.
Place in the fridge and let marinate for at least 1 hour, but I let it go overnight.
Heat your grill up good and high.  Spray with cooking spray to keep chicken from sticking.
Grill chicken until cooked through and juices run clear and the internal temperature hits 170.  Takes a good 15-20 minutes or so for the big breasts and thighs.  Less time for the wings and legs.
dinner Fiesta Week Grilled Fiesta Tequila Chicken

Grab a margarita and it’s dinner time!

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Featured, Healthy Recipes For Kids, Kid Favorite Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Fiesta Week – Ole Taco Casserole

July 20, 2011 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 10 Comments

My attempts to liven up

Fitz Family Taco Night continue…

I decided to try another taco casserole.

But I don’t like my chips mushy or my veggies warm in any way.

Sooooo….

I kept ‘em separate.

Perfect combo of crunchy chips…

Hot and spicy filling….

Cool and crisp veggies.

Can I get an ole???

dinner Fiesta Week Ole Taco Casserole

Ole Taco Casserole

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 lb gound beef

1 packet taco seasoning

3/4 cup water

1 onion chopped

1 can low fat refried beans

1 can black beans

2 cups low fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup Spikes Santa Fe Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1 large bad tortilla chips

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

1/2 red onion chopped

1 can sliced olives

1 avacado chopped

jalapeno slices

sour cream

dinner Fiesta Week Ole Taco Casserole

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  When skillet gets hot, add beef and brown, about 5-7 minutes.  Add in onions and cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a 13×9 inch baking pan, spread our refried beans in an even layer on the bottom.  Top with 1 cup black bean and corn salsa, then a layer of black beans.

Once meat has browned, add in taco seasoning and water.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add meat on top of the black bean layer.

Top with 1 1/2 cups cheese and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

dinner Fiesta Week Ole Taco Casserole

While the casserole is baking assemble your plates.

Spread out some chips as the bottom layer.

Top with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and remaining cheese.

Scoop a dollop of meat on your fixings and top with sour cream and jalapeno.

Tell me how you like this version….

dinner Fiesta Week Ole Taco Casserole

 

 

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Dinners on a Dime, Featured, Kid Favorite Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

BBQ Chicken Pizza

August 20, 2010 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 27 Comments

Move over CPK!  This one is a keeper.

It’s quick, easy, and sooooo delicious.

Don’t feel like calling out for pizza tonight?

Stay in and make this one yourself.

Keegan told me that this was his best dinner ever.

Give it a try and let me know if your kids think so as well.dinner BBQ Chicken Pizza

Serves: 8  Prep time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1  T olive oil, divided

S&P

4 slices bacon chopped

1/2 small onion choppeddinner BBQ Chicken Pizza

2 cloves garlic

1 t dried thyme

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup ketchup

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 t dried mustard

1 T molasses

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 store bought pizza dough

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced thin

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 shallot sliced thin

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Drizzle your chicken with 1/2 T olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 20 minutes at 425.  Meanwhile get started on your BBQ sauce.dinner BBQ Chicken Pizza

In a medium saucepan heat remaining 1/2 T of olive oil over medium heat.  Add chopped bacon and cook until crisp.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel.  Set aside.

Pour off all but 1 T of bacon fat.  Add in your onions and allow to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute or two.  Season with dinner BBQ Chicken Pizzasalt and pepper and thyme.  Deglaze the pan with the vinegar being sure to scrap up all the good browned bits on the bottom.

Next add in your ketchup, tomato sauce, mustard, molasses, and Worcestershire sauce.  Turn the sauce down and allow to simmer until your chicken is ready.

Once the chicken is done remove it from the oven and slice it thinly.  Lay out your pizza dough and stretch it to fit a baking sheet.  Spread a think layer of sauce leaving a one inch border around the dough.  Arrange your chicken neatly around the pizza dough.  Then arrange jalapeno (I only put this on half so you get a half spicy half wimpy pizza) and shallots evenly around the dough.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.  dinner BBQ Chicken PizzaTop with plenty of cheese and bake at 425 for 17-19 minutes.  Top with cooked bacon and more cilantro if desired.  Enjoy!

dinner BBQ Chicken Pizza

dinner BBQ Chicken Pizza

dinner BBQ Chicken Pizza

dinner BBQ Chicken Pizza

dinner BBQ Chicken Pizza

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Kid Favorite Recipes, Recipes For Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Ode to the Sunset Grill – Chunky Chicken Nachos

August 11, 2010 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 18 Comments

Back in the olden days when I was just a young pup of about 19, I landed my first waitressing gig.

It was at a great little place in Boston called the Sunset Grill & Tap.

They were famous for their hamburgers…

their beer (this was back before the whole microbrew craze and we were famous for having over 100 beers on tap and over 400 more in bottles – oh and being only 19 I didn’t know what any of them tasted like, of course, no really…)

and their NACHOS!

The nachos…oh the nachos…the nachos were amazing…

First off, the nachos are enormous! I mean huge. 4 college football players would have issues finishing the plate.

And they were topped with yummy goodness…

Cheddar Cheese, Salsa, Ground Beef, Tomatoes, Sour Cream, Lettuce, Olives, all on top of tri color corn chip delight.

Here, I’ll show you…

appetizers Ode to the Sunset Grill Chunky Chicken Nachos

That’s Brady, a few years back, sitting behind a plate of Sunset’s nachos. Doesn’t he look like Cooper now? Creepy huh?

appetizers Ode to the Sunset Grill Chunky Chicken Nachos

That’s me and Keegan on that same visit to Sunset, and yes, I’m enjoying one of those beers I never got to try…just go with me on this one.

So I was in Boston last weekend and didn’t make it to the Sunset for my favorite nachos so I decided to whip up a plate of these at home. I made mine out of ground chicken to lighten things up a bit, well as much as you can lighten up nachos that is…Let me first apologize for these pics. I broke my camera so I had to take these with my iPhone…The pics may be slightly sad but the nachos were awesome.  I though the hubs was going to cry…he may have shed a tear he liked them so much.

appetizers Ode to the Sunset Grill Chunky Chicken Nachos

Serves 6 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes

1 lb ground chicken

1 packet taco mix

3/4 cup water

large bag of tortilla chips

2 cups of cheddar cheese

1 tomato chopped

1 small red onion chopped

1 avacado chopped

4 T chopped cilantro

1 head of iceberg lettuce, sliced

chopped olives

sour cream

sliced jalapenos

Preheat your oven’s broiler.  In a large skillet brown your chicken over medium high heat.  When it’s cooked through season with taco mix and 3/4 cup water.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Place a single layer of tortilla chips on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with half of your cheese.  Place under the broiler for 3 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with more chips, chicken mixture and remaining cheese.  Place back under the broiler for another 5 minutes. appetizers Ode to the Sunset Grill Chunky Chicken Nachos

Remove from oven and transfer to a serving dish.  Top with lettuce, tomato, olives, avacado, cilantro, onions, jalapeno, and sour cream.  Serve ‘em up hot and gooey!  I like to add tobasco to mine too.

Do you have a favorite restaurant dish that you’d like to recreate?

Filed Under: Appetizer Recipes For Kids, Recipes For Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Apricot Cedar Roasted Salmon

June 23, 2010 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 33 Comments

dinner Apricot Cedar Roasted Salmon

Some of you are new here so let me just get this out in the open…I am a Food Network freak.  All three of my kids grew up on it (ha, grew up like they’re 20 or something, Keegan is only 5) but they all love it too.  I think that Keegan’s first word was not mama, but Rachael.  It’s always on in the background and I’ve pretty much seen every episode they’ve produced in the last 5 years.  That’s honestly why I don’t watch as much anymore…there are only so many times you can watch Paula make shrimp and grits.

People always ask me where I get my recipes.  Many are dishes I’ve seen on the Food Network then put my own spin on.  You know me, I can’t follow a recipe to save  my life!  I get the general gist of how something is made then I’m off and running, experimenting, tinkering, and embellishing…it’s sort of like scrapbooking, with food!

Anyway I was always curious as to what those cedar planks were all about in the grocery store and then I saw Guy Fieri whip up a salmon dish with them.  This is my take on his Johnny Garlic’s cedar salmon.  It’s easy, delicious, and fast.  Make it for company, they’ll think you’re a 5 star chef.  It’s got a big, TA-DA factor!

dinner Apricot Cedar Roasted Salmon

2 T canola oil

2 jalapenos, sliced into rings

1 onion sliced thin

1 T garlic, minced

1/2 cup tequila

1/4 cup whole-grain mustard

1 cup apricot preserves

1 lime zested

1 large cedar plank

1 large salmon fillet

S&P

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small saute pan over medium heat, heat oil. When hot, add jalapenos and onions and saute until soft. Add garlic, and saute for an additional minute or so. Deglaze with tequila.  Next add mustard and apricot preserves and bring to a simmer. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes and let completely cool.

dinner Apricot Cedar Roasted SalmonPlace parchment paper on plank, add salmon, season with S&P.  Heap cooled apricot mixture on top of salmon.  Place cedar plank on gas burner. When plank has begun to smoke, place into preheated oven.  Slide a baking sheet onto the rack below cedar plank in case the apricot mixture drips…it’s tough to clean off your oven!!

Cook salmon until medium-rare; remove from oven and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes until serving. Garnish with lime zest.

I apologize for the ugly pictures.  My camera is acting up and this is the only shot that came out.  Ugly plating and all…but it was still mighty tasty!

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Healthy Recipes For Kids, Recipes For Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Cowboy Up Burgers

June 15, 2010 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 36 Comments

Ok seriously…what is up with all the gloomy weather here in the Northeast?  I feel like I haven’t seen the sun for more than a 5 minutes stint in almost 2 weeks.  Where the heck did we move?  Seattle?  So what do I do when I get depressed and need a little summer lovin’?  Crack open the coronas and fire up the grill.  You all know how I love to get my burger on so I whipped up some Cowboy Burgers, or Cowboy Up Burgers as we in Red Sox Nation like to refer to them…

dinner Cowboy Up Burgers

There are opposite sides taken in the battle of the burger wars.  It’s sort of like Color War Week at camp.  There are those who believe you should only gussy up what goes on top of the burger, and those who believe you should work on the actual burger itself.  I’m sort of split.  So for this one, I did both.  I dress up the burger’s interior and toss some good stuff on top.  I like it when the burger is flavored through and through, but then I felt like it looked a little naked there on the bun so I felt bad for him and slapped on some grilled onions and mushrooms….the choice is yours, but what makes this a cowboy burger is what is on the inside.  Take a looksie…

2 lbs ground beef, 85/15

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1/4 large red onion diced

2 T worcestshire sauce

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1 big T montreal steak seasoning

1/4 cup beer

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Combine all your ingredients into a large bowl.  Toss to combine with your hands just enough to incorporate all the burgers.  Form patties, I usually get about 6 big burgers.  Sprinkle with some olive oil and grill to desired doneness.  We like ‘em medium-rare to medium.  The nice thing about these burgers is that the all the ingredients help to keep them nice and moist so even if you leave them on the grill a little longer they are still nice and juicy!  We just had friends over to BBQ, uh in the rain mind you, and they said these were the best grilled burgers they’d ever had.  Yes they are!  Giddy up, Cowboys!

dinner Cowboy Up Burgers Welcome to all the Tuesday Tag Alongs. I can’t wait to come back and visit your sites. I love making new bloggie pals. dinner Cowboy Up Burgers

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Recipes For Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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